Hutchinson – In a joint session Tuesday, the Hutchinson City Council and the Reno County Commission met over lunch, along with Chief Jeffery Hooper, Sheriff Darrian Campbell, City Manager Jeff Cantrell and County Administrator Randy Partington.
The topic of discussion was a firing range owned by the City which had been under lease by the County since its creation.
Chief Hooper and Sheriff Campbell explained the training needs that are not being met by the current facility, their importance to improving public safety, as well as the reasons they cannot be accomplished at the same facility. Both agencies then discussed their plans to expand training capabilities cooperatively with two unique firing ranges where both could continue to train together.
One would be owned and operated by the Sheriff’s Office which would be geared towards long distance accuracy and tactical training appropriate for rural areas. The other would be at the current location, owned by the City and operated by the Hutchinson Police Department which would be used to train for urban engagements and de-escalation tactics. Both would be used cooperatively as the agencies continue to train together.
Both the City Council and the Commission were assured that these facilities could be built and maintained within existing budgets and would not create significant additional cost or duplication. Both the Chief and the Sheriff reiterated that the safety and security of the people of Hutchinson and Reno County are and will remain their top priority, and that they will always work together to ensure that service to the community is at the forefront.